What follows is a glossary of Literary Terms that you are advised to learn. This will help you with your Critical Essays, and also give you the some of the vocabulary you will require if you go on to sit the Textual Analysis Paper in the final exam.
Is That It?
This list is by no means extensive! There are many, many more terms that you may encounter... however, this list does cover the basics. If you wish to find out more, then I recommend a visit to the Wikipedia Index of Literary Terms.
Get Involved
As this is a wiki, you are invited to add to the list as you see fit... I'd especially recommend adding quotations/examples where appropriate.
Literary Terms
Term
Definition
Example
allegory
alliteration
allusion
analogy
assonance
Beat writers
confessional poetry
deconstructionist
dramatic monologue
enjambment
feminist
figurative language
formalism
free verse
half-rhyme
historicism
hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration for effect. This technique is used everyday and is sometimes easy to miss because we are so used to seeing it.
Dante's epic poem La Divina Commedia was written in terza rima. Terza rima poetry has three line stanzas with a 'chain rhyme' scheme. It follows the pattern: A-B-A, B-C-B, C-D-C,etc...
=Pheasant=
You said you would kill it this morning.
Do not kill it. It startles me still,
The jut of that odd, dark head, pacing
Through the uncut grass on the elm's hill.
It is something to own a pheasant,
Or just to be visited at all.
A Glossary of Literary Terminology
Table of Contents
Is That It?
This list is by no means extensive! There are many, many more terms that you may encounter... however, this list does cover the basics. If you wish to find out more, then I recommend a visit to the Wikipedia Index of Literary Terms.Get Involved
As this is a wiki, you are invited to add to the list as you see fit... I'd especially recommend adding quotations/examples where appropriate.Literary Terms
You said you would kill it this morning.
Do not kill it. It startles me still,
The jut of that odd, dark head, pacing
Through the uncut grass on the elm's hill.
It is something to own a pheasant,
Or just to be visited at all.